An alumnus of the Central Luzon State University Science High School (Batch '84) won the grand prize in the essay-writing category (English) of the recently held 54th Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.

His award winning essay was entitled Devotion which beautifully depicted a fan's devotion to his movie idol.

A native of San Jose City, Wilfredo O. Pascual, Jr. describes himself as a writer who writes away from home, totally dependent on memory and imagination, restlessness and reflection in confronting my own displacement.

After winning the said Palanca Award, he came back to CLSU to share his victory with his Alma Mater and to present his medal before the university and the students of Science High School (USHS) last September 6. He also served as a resource person in the writing seminar sponsored by the USHS.

Pascual was only 8 years old when the St. Joseph School, San Jose City, named him Most Creative Writer of the Year. In 1984, he was recipient of the Journalism Award of the University Science High School and was bestowed the Natatanging Novo Ecijano sa Pagsusulat Award by the College of Arts and Sciences in 1991. At 18 he started writing scripts for television and at 23 he tried his hand at a romance novel while writing poetry in between.

His love for writing made him continue his studies in New York University in 2002 attending the Creative Writing Program. The following year, he was a Breadloaf Work Study Scholar for Creative Nonfiction in the US.

Besides his award winning piece 'Devotion', he also wrote the book 'Guns', Father Poems edited by Alfred Yuson and Geminio Abad, which was published in the Philippines in 2004; and the SPAFA Journal 'Return to the Great Books' published by the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Archeology and Fine Arts, Bangkok, Thailand.

Pascual is currently working as publications officer of the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO) Secretariat, Bangkok, Thailand, a job which involves requires a great deal of writing though more of the technical form.